Ranged Blaster: Analysis and Thoughts Thread

[curry time]

As with the range, the original blaster relies on getting close to opponents to splat them. As such, even medium range weapons like the Splattershot pose a threat due to their high kill power. Missing a shot often dooms you.

With this, you not only gain the ability to counter mid range weapons, you generally gain a safety cushion from being able to stay back behind. Much better if you want to guard a single point, and Ink Walls (and the Custom's Kraken) increase your survivability. Sure, it has weaknesses (Awful at close range, low fire rate, Inkstrikes are meh), but I would say it's just as good, if not better, than the original.

The Range Blaster also has a bit of a harder time corner fighting than the other Blasters. You're obviously still able to seal off a corridor, but hitting people around a corner is a bit more difficult due to the shorter blast AoE. Not to mention that it has a hard time with the kind of corner scrambles that you'd find on a map like Arowana, where the other Blasters (especially the Luna) would dominate since they don't need nearly as much room to detonate.

On the subject of Arowana, though, the Range Blaster can challenge both sniper decks at mid, as well as scare away or kill players on the ledges in each base, which is something the other blasters have a hard time doing.

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I wish this weapon had a different appearance from the regular Blasters. Insignificant detail, but it'd be nice.

 

[LMG]

The Range Blaster also has a bit of a harder time corner fighting than the other Blasters. You're obviously still able to seal off a corridor, but hitting people around a corner is a bit more difficult due to the shorter blast AoE. Not to mention that it has a hard time with the kind of corner scrambles that you'd find on a map like Arowana, where the other Blasters (especially the Luna) would dominate since they don't need nearly as much room to detonate.

On the subject of Arowana, though, the Range Blaster can challenge both sniper decks at mid, as well as scare away or kill players on the ledges in each base, which is something the other blasters have a hard time doing.

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I wish this weapon had a different appearance from the regular Blasters. Insignificant detail, but it'd be nice.

I thought the explosion was as big as the regular Blaster's, which is why they gave it the slower rate of fire o_O

 

[curry time]

I thought the explosion was as big as the regular Blaster's, which is why they gave it the slower rate of fire o_O

Hmm, I could be wrong. I could have sworn it was smaller, but I will test it in the firing range later when I get the time.

 

[Lonely_Dolphin]

Hmm, I could be wrong. I could have sworn it was smaller, but I will test it in the firing range later when I get the time.

They're the same size, hitbox extending about 0.5 lines from where the paint trail ends. Infact that's also the range difference between blasters, Range is 3.5, Regular is 3, Luna is 2.5.

Now some have been saying there's no point using the Range over the regular, but I think it's actually the other way around, atleast once the Custom Range releases. One of the main things Blasters have going for them is their one shot kills, so naturally having more range on your one shot kill is better than having less as it increases the safety and positions you can take. The trade-off is the fire rate, but really fire rate doesn't even matter since it's still too low for both Blasters meaning you should be repositioning after each shot.

The next big thing are the loadouts and how they deal with the weaknesses both Blasters share, being long range and especially very close range. It's always been my opinion that the regular Blasters have some of the weakest sets in the game, certainly the worst of the Blasters as Splatbombs, Inkzooka and Kraken are better than anything the regular Blasters got. Okay the Killer Wail is good and deals with the long range problem, but it's a special, and Blasters suck at ink coverage, so it's not readily available like Splatbombs are. Disruptors and Bubble aren't all that on a short-range weapon, though they can stop people from rushing inside your ideal range, but Splatbombs can do similarly, and of course with the Kraken you can just kill them. Point Sensor is just the worst sub imo.

All of this is just my opinion of course!

 

[curry time]

They're the same size, hitbox extending about 0.5 lines from where the paint trail ends. Infact that's also the range difference between blasters, Range is 3.5, Regular is 3, Luna is 2.5.

Now some have been saying there's no point using the Range over the regular, but I think it's actually the other way around, atleast once the Custom Range releases. One of the main things Blasters have going for them is their one shot kills, so naturally having more range on your one shot kill is better than having less as it increases the safety and positions you can take. The trade-off is the fire rate, but really fire rate doesn't even matter since it's still too low for both Blasters meaning you should be repositioning after each shot.

The next big thing are the loadouts and how they deal with the weaknesses both Blasters share, being long range and especially very close range. It's always been my opinion that the regular Blasters have some of the weakest sets in the game, certainly the worst of the Blasters as Splatbombs, Inkzooka and Kraken are better than anything the regular Blasters got. Okay the Killer Wail is good and deals with the long range problem, but it's a special, and Blasters suck at ink coverage, so it's not readily available like Splatbombs are. Disruptors and Bubble aren't all that on a short-range weapon, though they can stop people from rushing inside your ideal range, but Splatbombs can do similarly, and of course with the Kraken you can just kill them. Point Sensor is just the worst sub imo.

All of this is just my opinion of course!

Just tested it, and you are indeed correct. My mistake.

The Range Blaster still has a difficult time corner fighting except for a few specific locations, though, due to the fixed detonation + long range.

Wall is an incredibly useful sub (especially in this week's meta), but splat bombs and Kraken are more flexible as a whole. Splat bombs will allow players to hold off chokes and reroute enemies, while Kraken > Inkstrike in most situations.

 

[Lonely_Dolphin]

Just tested it, and you are indeed correct. My mistake.

The Range Blaster still has a difficult time corner fighting except for a few specific locations, though, due to the fixed detonation + long range.

Wall is an incredibly useful sub (especially in this week's meta), but splat bombs and Kraken are more flexible as a whole. Splat bombs will allow players to hold off chokes and reroute enemies, while Kraken > Inkstrike in most situations.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by corner fighting, but you can still hit around corners like any Blaster, you just have to stand further back, which also makes it safer.

The Custom version's Splatbombs also help with this.

 

[curry time]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by corner fighting, but you can still hit around corners like any Blaster, you just have to stand further back, which also makes it safer.

The Custom version's Splatbombs also help with this.

Yeah, poor wording on my part. I meant more like it can't deal with some of the important corners like in the basins on Arowana. Or it can, but you put yourself at a greater risk since you have to stand back farther.

Splat Bombs are going to help it out in that department a ton. Should be exciting.